Rural/Farming / Public News Service

The LeRay McAllister Fund was created to safeguard Utah's agricultural landscapes and economy, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, October 25, 2024

Conservation easements in UT protect 5,500 acres of farm land

Utah's leaders are taking steps to protect the state's shrinking agricultural land by issuing conservation easements. The move will limit non-…

Nearly 67,000 schools participate in Farm-to-School programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Monkey Business/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Ohio schools bring local farms to lunch trays with USDA funding

This October, Ohio schools are celebrating National Farm to School Month by serving local produce in their meals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture …

Critics of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations said the manure from sites is often kept in open-air lagoons, where it is stored until it is sprayed to fertilize farm fields. Any excess manure not soaked up by crops or grasses ends up in aquifers and waterways. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Legal case highlights concern factory farms get a free pass from EPA

By Nina Elkadi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration …

Researchers at the World Resources Institute said the average American can cut their environmental footprint in half by reducing dairy and meat consumption. (Molly Condit/Sinergia Animal/We Animals)

Congressional briefing promotes dairy digesters to curb methane emissions

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

According to the American Sheep Industry Association, as of January 2024, there are 5 million sheep in the U.S. Illinois ranks 27th in the nation for sheep production. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

IL sheep farmer embraces land for solar use

By Kari Lydersen for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Energy News Network-Public News…

North Carolina's agricultural business employs more than 100,000 farmers in poultry. (Adobe Stock)

How a NC farmer's shift to sustainable practices could guide others out of debt

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Colla…

More than 55% of agricultural lands in South Dakota, or 24 million acres, are dedicated to animal production, according to the Governor's Office of Economic Development. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Sustainable meat industries could use boost from billionaires

Since 1964, per capita meat consumption has doubled and environmental advocates cautioned it is unsustainable. And there are more billionaires…

According to the USDA, there are 2,850 slaughterhouses in the U.S., not including facilities slaughtering poultry. (Adobe Stock)

Milwaukee group vigilant about WI slaughterhouse projects

By Grace Hussain for Sentient.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Col…

The Hazleton Area School District received a grant for more than $99,000 to implement a sustainable agriculture program in its career center, providing local, nutritious food to students and addressing health disparities in its community. (Adobe Stock)

Program builds bridge between PA's local farms, school cafeterias

Schools in Pennsylvania are recognizing October's National Farm to School Month by serving local produce in their meals. The U.S. Department of …

For fiscal year 2024, the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program is giving out a record $14.3 million in funding. (Adobe Stock)

Program helps kids learn more about farming in AL

Across Alabama, programs are helping kids learn more about farming and nutrition with the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA is …

A 2024 North Dakota State article about China's tendency to respond to trade tariffs with

NE Farmers Union head on administrations' ag policy, impact

Agriculture is the single largest industry in Nebraska and one that different administrations can impact differently. When Nebraska Farmers Union …

Collectively, poultry farmers owe $5.2 billion, according to Mercy for Animals. (Adobe Stock)

The Transfarmation Project offers factory farmers new path

By Michaela Haas for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalis…

Nearly 67,000 schools participate in Farm-to-School programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Michael Chamberlin/Adobe Stock)

Program helps build bridge between local farms, school cafeterias

This October, schools in Georgia are celebrating National Farm to School Month by serving local produce in their meals. The U.S. Department of …

Adrian Sinclair is the plant manager at the 1839 Cherokee Meat Co. in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. (Ben Felder/Investigate Midwest)

OK tribes' meat processing plants reverse historic ag consolidation

By Ben Felder for Investigate Midwest.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Oklahoma News Service reporting for the Investigate Midwest-Solutions Jo…

The practice of agroforestry combines traditional agricultural practices of raising livestock with growing trees and shrubs acting as carbon sinks on the same land. (Mongabay/Natural Resources Conservation Service)

Paying Iowa farmers to expand 'climate smart' acres

By Sarah Derouin for Mongabay.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service…

According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the average Illinois farm is 375 acres in size and grows mostly grain, corn and soybeans. In terms of livestock, 22% have beef cattle, 3% raise swine and 1% have dairy cows. (Adobe Stock)

IL farmers face another hold for federal funding

By Grace Hussain for Sentient.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration…

Groups sounding the alarm over the need to feed larger global populations in the near future say billionaires have the resources to significantly improve food systems by investing in alternatives to traditional products. (Adobe Stock)

How the world's ultra-rich are trying – or not – to make meat sustainable

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Prairie News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration O…

An algal bloom is seen near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in Virginia in August 2021. (Photo courtesy Wyatt Young/Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

Could Mississippi River benefit from East Coast water-quality strategy?

By Bennet Goldstein for Wisconsin Watch.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for Wisconsin Watch-Public News Service…

Winnebago adults and children husking corn during the 2024 Indian Corn Harvest. (Photo courtesy Ho-Chunk, Inc.)

Ho-Chunk Farms revitalize, preserve tribal culture with Indian Corn Project

Ho-Chunk Farms' annual Indian Corn Harvest is reviving and preserving this tradition for the northeast Nebraska tribe. Corn from a Winnebago family's …

Federal regulations are an area in which the president has significant latitude to affect food policy. (Credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr)<br />

Where does Harris stand on meat, factory farming?

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Colla…

New federal legislation would allow land managers to prioritize the needs of wildlife during critical times, including calving season. (Adobe Stock)

GORP Act would conserve 730,000+ acres of public lands in Colorado

New legislation making its way through the U.S. Senate would conserve more than 730,000 acres of federal public lands in and around Colorado's …

Farm runoff contributes to nitrate pollution in nearby waterways. (Reagan/Adobe Stock)

WA advocates push back on animal operation pollution

By Claire Carlson for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Washington News Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collab…

Close to 2.3 million New York kids participated in the school breakfast and lunch program on an average day during the 2022-2023 school year. (Adobe Stock)

Local 'Food for Schools' grants aid NY schools, farmers

October is National Farm to School Month, and New York schools are using grant funding to participate. School districts statewide have received …

Living roots reduce soil erosion and provide food for organisms like earthworms and microbes that cycle the nutrients plants need, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

AZ nonprofit teaches sustainable practices to next gen farmers

By Lauren Kobley for Cronkite News.Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Arizona News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

Washington State University serves more than 4,100 latino undergraduates. (knowlesgallery/Adobe Stock)

WA university recognized for service to migrant students

A program in Washington state helping college students from migrant families is being celebrated for its support of the Latino community. Washington …

The process for testing for bacteria in foods can be a tricky, segmented process. (sinhyu/Adobe Stock)

After listeria outbreak, food regulations under scrutiny

A recent foodborne illness outbreak linked to deli meats is putting the spotlight on how these foods are regulated. The listeria outbreak in Boar's …

Colorado State University researchers found snowpack in areas burned by the Cameron Peak Fire disappeared 7 to 11 days earlier than unburned areas. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Wildfire burn areas see faster snowpack melts, disrupt water resources

As a warming climate brings bigger and more frequent wildfires, burn scars left behind at high mountain altitudes are seeing snowpack melt much …

There were more than 70 substantial pesticide producers in the United States in the 1960s. (Adobe Stock / AI)

Report: Agribusiness monopolies harming farmers, consumers

A new report looking at agribusiness consolidation found decades of mergers have reduced competition, leading to higher costs for farmers and …

The federal Rural Energy for America Program provides loan guarantees and grants to farmers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. (Adobe Stock)

Report: USDA program helped hundreds of KY businesses become energy efficient

In Kentucky, 462 businesses, farms and schools have received $77 million in federal funding to boost energy efficiency through the U.S. Department of …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates more than one-third of food produced in the U.S. is never eaten, wasting the resources used to produce, process and distribute it. (Adobe Stock)<br />

ME tackles food waste in effort to mitigate climate change

A new study found Maine households are a leading contributor of food waste in local landfills, which in turn contributes to climate change. …

Viva Farms leases out parcels of more than 100 acres it operates in the Skagit Valley. (Lena Beck)

WA incubator helps new farmers overcome land access barrier

By Lena Beck for Modern Farmer.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Washington News Service reporting for the Modern Farmer-Public News Service Col…

State environmental officials in North Dakota said large bodies of water such as Devil's Lake have not seen many fish kills or other harmful effects because the state has not seen a lot of factory farms in the region. But changes to the law are being pursued to boost animal agriculture in North Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

'I feel on the edge': ND communities navigate factory farm movement

A North Dakota task force meets again next month as it considers updating the scope of local zoning laws dealing with factory farms. It is an issue …

The Environmental Protection Agency said aviation in the United States accounts for nearly 10% of greenhouse-gas emissions from the transportation sector. (Adobe Stock)

Cruising at 30,000 feet with cleaner jet fuel: MN part of sustainability efforts

Some Minnesotans might already be booking flights for the upcoming holiday season. In the future, they could end up flying on a jet relying on …

More than 90 % of the large tractors used on Iowa farms are sold by two companies, Deere & Co. and CNH. (Adobe Stock)

New data show increasing consolidation in Iowa's ag industry

Advocates for a fair, sustainable, and healthy food system have released a report showing that nearly all of the corn seed in Iowa is controlled by …

The debate over a new Farm Bill and where to prioritize funding comes as the number of farms declines while farm sizes go up. Experts said it is a symptom of corporate consolidation within agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Future health of WI's farmland monitored in Farm Bill fight

Congress has one week from today to reauthorize a sweeping policy playing a big role in shaping the nation's food production system, and Wisconsin …

Retention basins are artificial ponds often used on farms to manage water and prevent fertilizer and other contaminants from reaching nearby waterways. (Adobe Stock)

Flooded farm fields no longer the norm for some MN producers

Minnesota has had a dry start to the fall but saw record rain this past spring. One farmer said changes to his land made it easier for the crop …

Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Feds ask WY to recalculate cost of proposed West Fork Dam

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …

According to the newly-formed South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative, over 100,000 South Dakotans experience food insecurity, including 24,000 children. (Yakobchuk Olena/Adobe Stock)

New SD collaborative to address food insecurity

In observance of Hunger Action Month, a new statewide collaborative has launched to address food insecurity in South Dakota. Nearly 14% of U.S…

A multistate outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cows was first reported on March 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

As USDA announces field trials for bird flu, UT veterinarian expects long process

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved field trials for bird flu vaccines among cattle, but one Utah State veterinarian says to his …

Environmental researchers say locally based-food growers tend to be more conscious about minimizing harmful runoff from their farmland. (Adobe Stock)

WI program serves up fresh produce, with a side of climate benefits

Access to nutritious food can be hard to come by for underserved populations. A Wisconsin program that relies on contributions from locally based …

More than 180 local and state elected officials from more than 40 states are coming together urging Congress to reject the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed ‘EATS’ Act could devour NY agriculture laws

A federal bill could spell trouble for New York farmers. The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act would remove local and state governments' …

One cow can produce up to 264 pounds of methane every year, and it's estimated that livestock production is responsible for 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. (Adobe Stock)

How livestock farming fuels climate change

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Federal lawmakers respond to WY wolf abuse, state's response

Following the torture of a wolf by a Wyoming man, a state panel is seeking a bill to protect the killing of predators with vehicles, but Federal …

The North Dakota Farmers Union said more frequent and devastating natural disasters place added pressure on farmers and more robust conservation programs in a new Farm Bill could help make agricultural landscapes more climate resilient. (Adobe Stock)

ND farmers: It's déjà vu as Farm Bill deadline inches closer

Congress is back from recess and lawmakers are hearing from producers about getting a new Farm Bill passed with the latest deadline looming…

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources must report annual greenhouse gas inventories to the legislature and governor each year. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa releases 'Condition of the State' report on clean energy goals

Alternative energy advocates say Iowa is making significant progress on reaching its green power goals by 2035. The state has become a national …

Green chiles take center stage next month when New Mexico extension agents offer classes in preservation techniques. (Photo courtesy of NMSU)

NM experts dish up best techniques for preserving green chile

The growing season is winding down in New Mexico and experts want to make sure the people preserving green chile for the colder months are doing it ri…

Groups such as the National Barn Alliance, Iowa Barn Foundation and Friends of Minnesota Barns<br />spearhead major efforts to preserve America's historic barns and rural heritage in the Midwest and nationwide. (John Wilson)

Preserving MI barns, upholding community solidarity

By Cinnamon Janzer for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Servic…

So far, 34 farmers markets, food hubs and retail locations across the state offer Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus. (Adobe Stock)

Pilot program makes fresh Colorado produce accessible to more families

As Colorado's fall harvest kicks into high gear, people participating in SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, can now get up to $60 per …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - October 25, 2024

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Rural/Farming